Life-saving boat



Nov. 15, 1927. 1,649,403-

H. GRuNDsrElN LIFE SAVING BQAT Fuga July 15. E1926 2 sheets-snee: 2y

gwventoz Patented Nov. 15, 1927. l

UNITED STATES PATENT i OFFICE.

rlhis invention relate The main o Application filed July 15,

LIFE-SAVING BOAT.

s to life-saving boats. of the invention is to provide a life boat which is non-collapsible and' non-sinkable- Another object of the invention vide a power 'driving means having of current in the mother ship and gency manually operating means, s

power driving Other objects wi sure progresses. ed merely to indie of the invention.

tual needs of certain mechanical changes. not intended to limit the inv means fail.

manu

1t is embodiment illustrated but rather such limits in the appended claims For-a more general description of the invention, attention is now called to the drawa preferred embodiment is shown illustrated.

ings in which Figure 1 is saving boat.

Fig. 2 is a rear en Fig. 3 is a section on Fig. 4 is a section on a side elevation of Referring to the drawings in which like reference characters denote like parts throughout the speci designates the 2 partitions three water-tight compartments IThe main hatchway 6 leads to compartment 3 8. Numerals 4 partitions 2.

As noticed in Fig.

.nism is placed meral 9 designates an electric hull of the is to proits source an emerhould the ll appear as the disclo- The drawings are intendate a possible embodiment It is obvious that the acfacture mayl necessitate therefore ention to the to define the lifed portion thereof.

line 3-3 of Fig 2. line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

detail in ication, numeral 1 boat and numeral for dividing the interior in v4 and 5.

the forward while compartments 4 and 5 are provided with auxiliary hatchways 7 and and 5 at the rear of the b of current from designate doors in the 2 the driving mecha oat. Nu-

motor receivthe cable 10 generator on the mother ship This motor The propeller The a threaded rod 16 having' a fork end engaging a groove the hand wheel is turned clockwis the rudder 12 is operatively connected to the propeller shaft 11 having the usual screw propeller 12 at its adjacent thereto is by a screen 11 formed in two sec clutch 15 in the cen engaging the said sect-ions. slide the clutch end and guarded shaft is tions 13 and 14 witha ter for engaging or dismeans to 15 on its shaft consists of 17 at one 18 and ay hand wheel When e or antispring-operated fork 27 1926. Serial No. 122,692.

clockwise the-rod will lpull 'or push the clutch and thereby engage or disengage the section 14 of the shaft from the section 13 and thereby allow the propeller to idle or to be driven.

2O which is adapted to mesh with a slidable bevel gear 21 on the motor shaft 22.'l To keep .the gear in an upper position as shown in dotted llines a spring latch 23 vis provided. The purpose of this arrangement is to dis connect the motor from the propeller shaft 11 when the manual operatingl means is put in operation. The mechanism to drive the propeller manually consists of a train ofy Integral with the clutch 15 is a bevel gear gears 24. 25 and 26 normally intermeshing with each other, and a pair of hand cranks 27 for revolving the driving wheel 24. The

driven wheel 26 is arranged to slide on its in full lines in means is in operation, the power means consisting of the motor 9 will not revolve.

To keep the gear 26-in its set position, a is provided, the ends of which engage the groove 28 to prevent any side motion of the gear. To change the position of the gear, the handle 29 is raised against the compression spring, thus disengaging the fork from the groove 28 and allowing the gear 26 to slide to the left or right.

`Within the keel 30 is placed a gyroscope 31 for the purpose of steadying the ship. This is operated by compressed air supplied from the compressed air tank 32. Intermediate the tank and gyroscope is placed a reducing valve 34. The compressed air for the tank is supplied from the mother ship through a hose 34 attached tothe inlet valve 35.

To light the interior of the ship a series of electricv lights 36 isv provided. Current for the lights is furnished from the mother ship through the cable 10. One of the compartments is equipped with' a hand-operated loo magneto 37 to generate power for the lights should the supply cable l0 break. Numeral. 37 designates an emergency light on top of the ship.

F or keeping in communication with the mother ship, a telephone 38 is furnished. In the event of rough seas, when all the hatches are closed, the air can be purified by an air purifier 39 placed in the middle compartment. For obtaining the bearings of the vessel when partly submerged a periscope 40 is placed at the -forward end. On top of the hull at the rear is placed a gong 88 operated by the usual electric actuated hammer 39 or by a hand operated hammer 40.

Around the ship just above the normal water line is a narrow walk 41, and attached thereto is a railing 42 adapted especially for survivors of a wreck, to cling to in case of necessity. On the exterior of the hull are placed a number of life-belts 48, and adjacent thereto is a rope ladder 44, for use when needed.

For lifting' the life-boat aboard the mother ship, three bolts 45, passing clear through the hull, having eyes 46 at the top for attachment to the mother ships davits are provided. To the rear bolt is attached a steel cable 47 leading from the mother ship for keeping control of the life boat should it be disabled. 'Io take up the strain of the cable 47 due to its weight, buoys of cork at frequent intervals can be attached by any suitable means thereto.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a life-saving boat which is safe, seaworthy and simple in operation and always in control of the mother ship. Should the electric cable break and make the motor of the lifeboat inoperative, the hand-operating means can be put in operation. Excepting the magneto, there are no power-generating mechanisms, this doing away with the danger of contaminating the air when the hatches are closed and artificial air purification means is resorted to.

Having thus described my invention what I desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

l. In a life-boat of the class described including a propeller, a combined power and manually operated means for driving said boat including a train of gears, one of said gears being slidable, means for making t-he manually operating means inoperative including a spring operated fork for latching said sliding gear out of mesh with the other of said gears so the power driving can revolve the propeller and means for making the power driving means inoperative so the manually operating means can revolve the propeller.

2. In a life-boat of the class described including a motor for driving said shaft, said shaft formed in two sections and connected by a clutch. a beve-l gear integral with one portion of the clutch, another bevel gear slidably attachcd'to the motor shaft meshing` with the first mentioned bevel gear, the last mentioned gear adapted to be raised out of mesh with the first mentioned gear and kept in a raised position by a spring' operated latch so the propeller shaft and propeller, a,`

propeller shaft can be manually rotated Y.

without rotating the motor shaft.

3. In a life-boat of the class described including a propeller shaft, power means for driving said propeller, said power means consisting of a motor, a bevel gear on the motor shaft meshing with a bevel gear on the propeller shaft and a means for supplying a source of current to said motor, manually operating means for driving said propeller,

said manually operating means including a driving gearsupplied with a. pair of hand cranks, an intermediate gear and driven gear slidably fixed on the propeller shaft, the said bevel gear on the motor shaft adapted to be kept in a raised position and out of mesh with the bevel gear on the propeller shaft so the manually operating means can drive the propeller without revolving the motor shaft, and said drive-n gear on said propeller' shaft adapted tol slide out of mesh with said intermediate gear so the power means can drive the propeller without revolving the hand operating means.

In testimony whereof I affix my signatureg HERMAN L. GRUNDSTEIN. 

